Introduction

I’m going to write about my experience with AI. Here’s the outline:

• I think the AI industry is ridiculous and packed with people who suffer deeply from Software Brain and an inability to embrace other humans.
• I think the technologies backing “AI” are really effing cool – all of them, not just the current monstrosity that is “LLM”.
• I think all of our current LLMs represent a level of knowledge theft that is undeniable and absolutely grotesque. I hope this industry fails because it doesn’t deserve ot survive after strip mining the beautiful work of humans on the internet for decades.
• But I still use these tools…
• I love creating. Years ago I created using code and hardware. I was never good at it. I stopped creating with these tools because it made me feel bad about myself.
• LLMs and modern tools have given me a way back in. I won’t lie: I love it.
• But I see the prices going up and the way these companies are pillaging the world, so I am trying to work with small, locally run models only. And I’ve had success. And I still love it. And it’s all magical.
• And I’m sad, because these companies have actually created deeply meaningful, enabling tools, but when endless capital power is your endgame, you can never stop. And that’s heartbreaking.
• If technology is about enabling humans, job done. And I want to discuss how it’s enabled me.